[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 219 (Friday, November 13, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 63472-63473] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-30393] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [OPP-00562; FRL-6044-1] FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Open Meeting AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of open meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: There will be a two-day meeting of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to review a set of scientific issues being considered by the Agency in connection with methodology for conducting comparative ecological risk assessments, developmental neurotoxicity study (a retrospective analysis), and a status report on use of the FQPA 10x safety factor. The Agency will present methods for comparing the potential ecological risk of pesticides used on similar crop sites. Risk indices or quotients are calculated and the results are compared to established levels of concern (LOCs). The resultant exceedances are used to rank pesticides and use sites. In addition, since numerous calculations are made using a range of use rates and toxicity values, pesticides and their use sites are compared based on frequency distributions of LOC exceedances. The comparisons include acute and chronic endpoints for terrestrial and aquatic organisms, as well as incident reports and information on extent of use. Pesticide specific ecotoxicology data and environmental fate and transport data are used in the analysis. Models such as GENEEC and FATE are used to estimate pesticide exposure. The Agency will also present two sessions concerning human health risk assessment. The first session will concern a retrospective analysis of 12 developmental neurotoxicity studies. The Agency will also provide an update of activities concerning the FQPA 10x safety factor. DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 8 and 9, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at: The Sheraton Crystal Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia. The telephone number for the hotel is: (703) 486-1111. By mail, submit written comments (one original and 20 copies) to: Paul I. Lewis, Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the FIFRA/ Scientific Advisory Panel (7101C), Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. In person or by delivery service, bring comments to: Room 117S, Crystal Mall 2 (CM #2), 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202. Comments and data also may be submitted electronically by sending electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected]. Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data also will be accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1/6.1 file format or ASCII file format. All comments and data in electronic form must be identified by the docket number ``OPP-00562.'' No Confidential Business Information (CBI) should be submitted through e-mail. Electronic comments may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries. Additional information on electronic submissions can be found under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Paul I. Lewis, DFO, FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (7101C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., S.W., Washington, DC 20460; Office location: Rm. 117S, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA; telephone: (703) 305-5369; e-mail: Lewis.P[email protected] A meeting agenda is currently available and copies of EPA primary background documents for the meeting will be available no later than November 13, 1998. The meeting agenda and EPA primary background documents are available on the EPA web site http://www.epa.gov/ pesticides/SAP/ or may be obtained by contacting the Public Information and Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460; Office location: Rm. 119, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA; telephone: (703) 305-5805. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any member of the public wishing to submit written comments should contact Paul I. Lewis at the address or the phone number given above to confirm that the meeting is still scheduled and that the agenda has not been modified or changed. Interested persons are permitted to file written statements before the meeting. To the extent that time permits and upon advanced written request to the DFO, interested persons may be permitted by the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel to present oral statements at the meeting. There is no limit on the length of written comments for consideration by the Panel, but oral statements before the Panel are limited to approximately five minutes. The Agency will allow additional time for presentation of oral comments at the FQPA 10x safety factor session to provide public commenters sufficient time to state their remarks at the meeting. The Agency also urges the public to submit written comments in lieu of oral presentations. Persons wishing to make oral and/or written statements should notify the DFO and submit 20 copies of the summary information. The Agency encourages that written statements be submitted before the meeting to provide Panel Members the time necessary to consider and review the comments. Information submitted as a comment in response to this notice may be claimed confidential by marking any part or all of that information as CBI. Information marked CBI will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. An edited copy of the comment that does not contain the CBI material must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information not marked confidential will be included in the public docket. All comments and materials received will be made part of the public record and will be considered by the Panel. A public record has been established for this notice under docket number ``OPP-00562'' (including comments and data submitted electronically). A public version of this record, including printed versions of electronic comments, which does not include information claimed as CBI, is available for inspection from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The public record is located in Rm. 119 of the Public Information and Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental [[Page 63473]] Protection Agency, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202. Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at: opp- [email protected]. Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. The official record for this notice, as well as the public version, as described above will be kept in paper form. Accordingly, EPA will transfer all comments received electronically into printed, paper form as they are received and will place the paper copies in the official record which will also include all comments submitted directly in writing. The official record is the paper record maintained at the address in ``ADDRESSES'' at the beginning of this document. Copies of the Panel's report of their recommendations will be available approximately 30 working days after the meeting and may be obtained by contacting the Public Information and Records Integrity Branch at the address or telephone number given above. List of Subjects Environmental protection. Dated: November 3, 1998. Marcia E. Mulkey, Director, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. 98-30393 Filed 11-12-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-F